CAIR-AZ, Arizona Democrats Call for Hate Crime Probe After Paintball Gun Incident at Phoenix Mosque

A man has been arrested after Phoenix police say a paintball gun was fired toward a group gathered outside a north Phoenix mosque during early-morning Ramadan prayers on Friday.

Phoenix police said the incident occurred around 2:30 a.m. March 7 at the Islamic Center of North Phoenix near Thunderbird Road and 19th Avenue. Officers responded after receiving reports that a man, identified by investigators as Michael Abel Dominguez, 30, was firing what initially appeared to be a firearm toward people outside the mosque, according to KTAR. Investigators later determined the weapon was a paintball gun. No injuries were reported.

Police said witnesses reported seeing a suspicious vehicle approach the mosque before a man exited the vehicle and pointed what appeared to be a firearm toward people gathered outside the building, AZFamily reported. Several popping sounds prompted individuals at the mosque to retreat to safety.

According to police, the man returned to the vehicle and fired paintballs toward the group and nearby vehicles while leaving the area. Several parked vehicles were struck by paintballs before the suspect fled.

“As a precaution, officers will continue increased patrols in the area while the investigation continues. We remain committed to supporting the safety and well-being of all who live, work, and worship in our city, and we thank the community for working with us to keep one another safe,” Phoenix police spokesperson Sgt. Lorraine Fernandez said in a statement, according to The Arizona Republic.

The group gathered outside the mosque included youth and children who had just finished late-night Ramadan prayers, according to community leaders cited in reporting on the incident.

Police searched the surrounding neighborhood but did not immediately locate the suspect.

Authorities later arrested Dominguez in connection with the incident. The case is being investigated as aggravated assault, according to FOX10 Phoenix.

The Arizona chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations called on law enforcement authorities to investigate the incident as a possible hate crime, citing the location of the attack and the presence of children outside the mosque.

“Although we are grateful that no one was physically injured, an attack that appears to target a house of worship while children are present is deeply alarming,” CAIR-AZ Executive Director Azza Abuseif said in a statement. 

The call for a hate crime investigation comes amid heightened national attention to security at houses of worship during religious observances.

“We urge law enforcement authorities to investigate this incident thoroughly, including the possibility that it was motivated by bias,” Abuseif said. “Public officials and community leaders should also speak out clearly against anti-Muslim bigotry and all forms of hate that threaten the safety and well-being of our communities.”

Mohamed El-Sharkawy, founder and director of the Arizona Muslim Police Advisory Board, and former Chairman of CAIR AZ, argued in favor of the hate crime designation, telling The Arizona Republic, “It is a hate crime, and it fit the crime itself, because that person stopped and talked some nonsense to the youth that were finishing their nightly prayer and started shooting at them unprovoked.”

Democratic leaders, including Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego, condemned the incident on social media, stating that hate has no place in the city and that the person responsible would be brought to justice. U.S. Sen. Ruben Gallego also commented on the incident, writing on social media that “no one should be afraid to walk into their place of worship.”

Hate has no place in our city. pic.twitter.com/MH2tDGcA06

— Mayor Kate Gallego (@MayorGallego) March 7, 2026

Phoenix City Councilwoman Betty Guardado, whose district includes the area of the mosque, said houses of worship must remain places of safety for people gathering in prayer. “Places of worship should always be spaces of peace, safety, and reflection,” Guardado said in a statement.

Arizona law classifies aggravated assault as a felony offense that can carry prison time depending on the circumstances of the alleged conduct. Under Arizona Revised Statutes § 13-1204, assault can be elevated to aggravated assault if it involves placing another person in reasonable fear of serious physical injury or involves certain aggravating factors, including the presence of minors or the use of a weapon-like instrument.

If prosecutors determine the incident was motivated by bias against a religious group, that finding could also be considered an aggravating factor at sentencing under Arizona Revised Statutes § 13-701, which allows courts to impose harsher penalties when a crime targets a victim’s religion or other protected characteristics.

Phoenix police said the investigation remains ongoing.